A TRANSPORT haulage firm established in East Leake in 1861, and now employing over 200 people, has gone into administration.

Now based at Kingston on Soar, T.Baden Hardstaff Limited - trading as Hardstaff Haulage and Hardstaff Commercial Repairs Limited – are well known names in both Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire and the news made known on Friday came as a major shock to the area.

The announcement of the administration action came from KPMG officers Mr Will Wright and Mr Mark Orton who have been appointed as joint administrators of the two companies.

The affairs, business and property of the companies are being managed by the joint administrators. They act as agents of the companies.

Mr Wright said: “The challenging trading conditions and changing dynamics in the market ultimately led to the businesses being placed in administration.

“Unfortunately, following a review of the position and the difficulties with continuing to trade, we have had to take the difficult decision to make 180 staff redundant.

“The remaining employees are supporting us whilst we explore a possible sale of parts of the businesses. Our team of employment specialists will be supporting all redundant staff on completing redundancy forms and putting them in touch with job seeker services.

“The Hardstaff Traffic Barrier Services business is not in administration, continues to trade as normal and we hope to find a buyer for it.”

The Hardstaff Group of Companies consists of:

• T. Baden Hardstaff (Hardstaff Haulage) - operates a diverse fleet of technologically and environmentally advanced heavy goods vehicles for UK distribution. They were the first major haulage company in the UK and Europe to use natural gas recovered from landfill waste for road transport.

With a heritage dating back over 150 years, the Hardstaff Group has been recognised as one of the principal providers of leading edge technology and innovative services to both the global and UK road transport industry with this being especially true in the field of research, which, being firmly focused on providing innovative solutions for service/product enhancements and environmental protection, has become the driving force behind company development. It was in 1861 that John Hardstaff founded the parent company, Hardstaff Haulage (T. Baden Hardstaff Limited) in East Leake. In that period the reed and basket industry employed the company to transport completed woven goods to the local markets in the Nottingham area.

The movement of goods by horse and cart had a significant part to play in the area’s largest business, British Gypsum, when carts were used to transport the first mined minerals from the Marblaegis Mine at East Leake.

Meanwhile plans for a Dual-Fuel Technology International Centre of Excellence in Kingston-on-Soar have been approved.

T Baden-Hardstaff Ltd, before their troubles, applied to Rushcliffe Borough Council for permission for the development, which will be situated on a former British Gypsum quarry that is currently occupied by the Hardstaff Group.

The design and access statement submitted with the application in June 2014 says: “The site has been in industrial use for over 120 years since the opening of the gypsum mine on the site in 1880.

“In 1995 the Hardstaff relocated their group activities in haulage, barrier manufacturing and storage and training services to the site.

“These have since diversified to include the HGV dealership, repairs, gas services, engine testing and dual fuel technology operations.

“The proposal is to develop the site facilities to serve the expansion of the existing dual fuel technology operations. These include research and development units, new training and conference facilities, relocated fuel filling facilities, an energy centre, on site accommodation for visiting technicians undertaking training, on site accommodation for visiting executives, future low carbon business units for complimentary business use, extensive re-landscaping of the site.”

Back in June last year the firm said the haulage operations, including vehicle storage, were to be relocated off-site.

“The scheme proposes a limited amount of demolition, the retention of most of the existing buildings and the construction of several new buildings and significant new and enhanced landscaping.

“It presents a long term master plan for the regeneration of a brownfield site in the greenbelt.”